Wet and dry vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A wet and dry vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner head, having a dirt container and having an inlet fitting which is designed for the connection of a suction hose, wherein the inlet fitting is connected in terms of flow to an inlet connector, which is situated in the wet and dry vacuum cleaner, of the wet and dry vacuum cleaner such that dirt particles that are drawn in can pass via the inlet connector into the dirt container, wherein the inlet connector is designed as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.

The present invention relates to a wet and dry vacuum cleaner having avacuum cleaner head, having a dirt container and having an inlet fittingwhich is designed for the connection of a suction hose. The inletfitting is connected in terms of flow to an inlet connector, which issituated in the wet and dry vacuum cleaner, of the wet and dry vacuumcleaner such that dirt particles that are drawn in can pass via theinlet connector into the dirt container.

BACKGROUND

Wet and dry vacuum cleaners of the type mentioned in the introductionare known in principle from the prior art. They serve for example forextracting dirt particles such as those which typically form during workperformed with angle grinders. For this purpose, a suction hose isconnected to the inlet fitting, which suction hose is in turn connectedby way of example to an angle grinder. In the case of the so-called wetapplication, dirty water is drawn in. In the case of dry applications,only or predominantly dry dirt particles are drawn in.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wet and dry vacuumcleaner which exhibits improved operating behavior.

The present invention provides that the inlet connector is designed as adiffuser with horizontal outflow.

The present invention incorporates the realization that, in the case ofwet and dry vacuum cleaners of the prior art, the inlet fitting and/orthe inlet connector are typically positioned in the vacuum cleaner head,as a result of which the available volume of the dirt container can beoptimally utilized. Here, the inlet connector is typically orienteddirectly into the dirt container, which results in undesired stirring-upand swirling of the already drawn-in dirt particles in the dirtcontainer. It has been observed that this leads to a premature shut-offin the case of wet applications and to a relatively short filter servicelife in the case of dry applications. By virtue of the inlet connectorbeing designed according to the invention as a diffuser with horizontaloutflow, these disadvantages can be avoided. A layered introduction ofdirt particles into the dirt container, without swirling in the dirtcontainer, is rather promoted.

It has proven to be advantageous if a suction flow through the inletconnector designed as a diffuser is directed toward an inner wall of thedirt container. The rebounding of the suction flow from the inner walldecelerates or slows the drawn-in air with the dirt particles, leadingto a further improvement in the introduction of dirt particles into thedirt container.

The inner wall of the dirt container is preferably a side wall of thedirt container. The inner wall need not imperatively be a side wall ofthe dirt container. Rather, the inner wall may also be a further wall,within the wet and dry vacuum cleaner, which is oriented verticallyand/or the area of which is at least as large as a cross-sectional areaof the diffuser opening of the inlet connector.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the inlet connector designed asa diffuser has a diffuser opening, the wall spacing of which withrespect to the inner wall is less than one fifth of the container widthof the dirt container.

A cross-sectional area of the diffuser opening is preferably at least50% larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet fitting in theregion of the wall passage into the dirt container.

The diffuser opening may be arranged, preferably exclusively, in theupper third of the dirt container.

It has proven to be advantageous if the inlet connector designed as adiffuser is arranged in a volume defined by the dirt container. Theinlet connector designed as a diffuser is particularly preferablyarranged exclusively in a volume defined by the dirt container.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner particularly preferably has an electricturbine arranged in the vacuum cleaner head. The wet and dry vacuumcleaner may have a dirt filter which, in relation to the suction flow,is positioned downstream of the inlet connector designed as a diffuser.

In a further preferred embodiment, the inlet connector designed as adiffuser is formed as a single piece. The inlet connector designed as adiffuser may be formed integrally on the dirt container. The inletconnector designed as a diffuser is preferably composed of plastic orpolymer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages will become apparent from the following descriptionof the figures. A preferred exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in which a schematically wet and dryvacuum cleaner is shown. The FIGURE, the description and the claimscontain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the artwill expediently also consider the features individually and combinethem to form expedient further combinations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A preferred exemplary embodiment of a wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The wet and dryvacuum cleaner 100 has a vacuum cleaner head 10, a dirt container 20 andan inlet fitting 25 designed for the connection of a suction hose 200.

The suction hose 200 to be connected to the inlet fitting 25 isillustrated schematically in FIG. 1.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 furthermore has an inlet connector27, which is connected in terms of flow to the inlet fitting 25 suchthat dirt particles P that are drawn in can pass via the inlet connector27 into the dirt container 20.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the inlet connector 27 is designed accordingto the invention as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.

As can be seen from the FIGURE, the inlet connector 27 designed as adiffuser is arranged exclusively in a volume V defined by the dirtcontainer 20. Furthermore, the diffuser designed as an inlet connector27 is arranged such that a suction flow S is oriented directly toward aninner wall 21 of the dirt container 20. In other words, the suction flowS flows through the diffuser opening 28 of the inlet connector 27 in ahorizontal direction H toward the inner wall 21, rebounds from thelatter, and passes, having been slowed, into the lower region of thedirt container 20, whereby the dirt particles P can be introduced inlayered fashion without swirling or at least with considerably reducedswirling.

As can likewise be seen from FIG. 1, the diffuser opening 28 of theinlet connector 27 has a wall spacing WA to the inner wall 21, whereinthe wall spacing WA is less than one fifth of the container width B ofthe dirt container 20.

A cross-sectional area Q1 of the diffuser opening 28 is, in the presentexemplary embodiment, at least 50% larger than a cross-sectional area Q2of the inlet fitting 25 in the region of the wall passage into the dirtcontainer 20.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 of FIG. 1 furthermore has an electricturbine arranged in the vacuum cleaner head 10. The suction flow S isgenerated by means of said electric turbine, by means of which suctionflow the dirt particles P are drawn into the dirt container 20 in thecourse of a wet application or a dry application.

The wet and dry vacuum cleaner 100 furthermore has a dirt filter 17which, in relation to the suction flow S, is positioned downstream ofthe inlet connector 27 designed as a diffuser. In the exemplaryembodiment illustrated here, the dirt filter 17 is arranged at thetransition between vacuum cleaner head 10 and dirt container 20.

The vacuum cleaner head 10 lies on the dirt container 20 from above andis locked on the latter (locking not illustrated). In the preferredexemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the inlet connector 27 designed as adiffuser is formed as a single piece and is formed integrally directlyon the dirt container 20. Here, both the inlet connector 27 and the dirtcontainer 20 are composed of plastic.

In alternative embodiments, the dirt container 20 may be manufacturedfor example from metal, into which, for example, there is fitted aninlet connector composed of plastic or polymer together with an inletfitting 25 composed of plastic or polymer.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

-   10 Vacuum cleaner head-   15 Electric turbine-   17 Dirt filter-   20 Dirt container-   21 Inner wall-   25 Inlet fitting-   27 Inlet connector-   28 Diffuser opening-   100 Wet and dry vacuum cleaner-   200 Suction hose-   B Container width-   H Horizon-   P Dirt particles-   Q1 Cross-sectional area of the diffuser opening-   Q2 Cross-sectional area of the inlet fitting-   S Suction flow-   V Volume of the dirt container-   WA Wall spacing

What is claimed is: 1-10. (canceled)
 11. A wet and dry vacuum cleanercomprising: a vacuum cleaner head having a dirt container and having aninlet fitting designed for the connection of a suction hose, the inletfitting being connected in terms of flow to an inlet connector situatedin the wet and dry vacuum cleaner such that dirt particles drawn in canpass via the inlet connector into the dirt container, the inletconnector being designed as a diffuser with horizontal outflow.
 12. Thewet and dry vacuum cleaner recited in claim 11 wherein a suction flowthrough the inlet connector designed as the diffuser is directed towardan inner wall of the dirt container.
 13. The wet and dry vacuum cleaneras recited in claim 12 wherein the inner wall of the dirt container is aside wall of the dirt container.
 14. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner asrecited in claim 12 wherein the inlet connector has a diffuser opening,a wall spacing of the diffuser opening with respect to the inner wallbeing less than one fifth of a container width of the dirt container.15. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein across-sectional area of a diffuser opening of the diffuser is at least50 percent larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet fitting in aregion of the wall passage into the dirt container.
 16. The wet and dryvacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector isarranged in a volume defined by the dirt container.
 17. The wet and dryvacuum cleaner as recited in claim 16 wherein the inlet connector isarranged exclusively in the volume.
 18. The wet and dry vacuum cleaneras recited in claim 11 further comprising an electric turbine arrangedin the vacuum cleaner head.
 19. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner asrecited in claim 11 further comprising a dirt filter positioned, inrelation to the suction flow, downstream of the inlet connector.
 20. Thewet and dry vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inletconnector is formed as a single piece.
 21. The wet and dry vacuumcleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector is formedintegrally on the dirt container.
 22. The wet and dry vacuum cleaner asrecited in claim 11 wherein the inlet connector is composed of plastic.